Ventilated fruit and vegetable case



J. J. WILLENBORGI.

VENTILATED FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CASE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. I. 1921.'

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VENTILATED FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CASE.

APPIICATION FILED FEB. L 1921.

Patented Feb. ,21, 1922'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- UNITED' STATS PATENT JoHlv' msnenY WILLENKBORG," or rawnjsn. ItpI'Nors,

VENTIQLATEDFRUIT'- Nn vnenra'rinfcasn.

To all 'ua/om it may concern Be itV known that I, JOHN JOSEPH'WILLEN- none, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pawnee, in thye'county ot'Sangamon andV State of illinois, have invented` certain new and useful Improvements in Ventilated Fruit and Vegetable Cases, of which the following, is a specification,'reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The invention relates to fruit and vegetable cases, and has tor its object to provide a case of thischaracter, whereinV various fruits may be glisplay'ednnder glass, thereby obviating handling ot the -fruit bypurchasers and damage ofthe fruit incident to constant handling, and at the saine time provide ventilating means, whereby a circulation of air may pass through `the fruit compartmentthereby obviating sweating of the fruit, which is a common difficulty at present found in displaying fruit under glass.

A further object is to provide a combined y fruit and vegetable display case comprising transversely disposed vegetable bins adjacent the lower end of the case and transversely disposed fruit bins superimposed on the vegetable bins, said fruit bins having their upper and front sides enclosed in glass Y and their lower and rear sides provided with wire mesh through which air may pass for Ventilating the fruit. The air passes through the wire mesh from transversely disposed air passages disposed between the vegetable and fruit bins. A further object is to provide means whereby the wire mesh forming the bottoms of the fruit bins may be easily removed for cleaning purposes and for allowing easy access to the transversely disposed air passages, whereby said passages may be thoroughly cleaned.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood. that changesV in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope oi" what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. f

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combined vegetable and fruit case.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

. ,Specification of Letters'Patent. i Pao-$151136@ Febfg, Application' mea rebruaryi, rsa1. sensi` Nb. 441,621.' l i Figure d is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on line M4 ot" Figure 1.

Referringl to the drawings, the numeral 1y designates a base, Ythe tron't and rear sides of which have upwardly and outwardly ex- -tendingwalls 2,thereby forming vegetable bins Y' in which rbins whichare preferably formed of di'erent -lengths* by partitionsli, various kinds of vegetables may be disposed. `'The front yand rear sides of the bins 3 are open vas at vfand 6 so vthatthe"vegetables may `be removed from eitherf'side o-i" the fcase.

Connecting theL upper 'end ot the partitions 4 a, horizontally disposed partition 7 forming a top for the bins Superimposed in relation to the bins 3 aretruit `bins 8, in which bins various kinds of fruit is placed, said bins 8 having their front sides formed from. glass 9 and their tops 10 also formed from glass, through which glass the fruit may be observed by the purchaser, but cannot be handled by the purchaser, thereby obviating unsanitary conditions, and at the same time obviating decay of the fruit 1ncident toit being bruised `trom constant handling and throwing back into the bins, which is the common difficulty at present experienced. .Y

It has been found that where fruit is. displayed under glass that it is necessary, to the proper preservation ot the same, and .to prevent the same Jfrom sweating, that a circuit ot' airA be maintained through the fruit. To accomplish this result, the lower, ends of the fruit bins 8 are open as at 11 and are provided with removable wire mesh bottoms y12. The removable wire mesh bottoms 12 being supported on flanges 13 and are spaced from the upper sides of the horizontal partition 7 thereby forming transversely disthrough the case. y fruit bins 8 .at a point spaced from the lower ends thereof has hingedly connected thereto as at 16, screened horizontally hinged doors 17, and through which doors, air, which passes inwardly through the ends of the air passages 14 and upwardly through the screened bottoms 12 may pass from the bins 8, said circuit of air preventing sweating and deterioration of the fruit. By positioning the screened doors 17 spaced from the bottoms of the bins 8, it will be 'seen that athorough circulation of the air through the bins will be maintained, and by forming the screened doors 17 smaller than the screened bottoms of the bins 8, that a choking action takes place, which will equally distribute the current of air throughout each bin. Bins 8 arev formed by spacedivertieal disposed Walls 18 rising upwardlyv from the horizon tally disposed partition 7 and the end glass Walls 19, carried'by the end bins. ly'prd viding these partitions which also divide the air passages from each other, it will be seen that odors of the fruit within one bin will not comingle With odors oi fruits in adjacent bins, therefore the most delicate fruit and articles may be displayed in the bins Withouthaving their odors or the articles injured by odors trom adjacent bins.

From the above it Will be seen that a ventilated fruit and vegetable displaycase is provided wherein the vegetables. Will be positioned adjacent the flooring and the fruit displayed under glass remote from the Hoon ing and ventilated through horizontally disposed air passages spaced from the flooring, thereby obviating the possibility oi? dust and dirt being carried through the air passages to the fruit, Which would be the @s Y momo? case it the air passages Where located adj acent the bottom of the display oase.

rlhe inventionl having been set 'forth What is claimed as new-:and useful is A ventilated display case, said case comprising horizontally disposed compartments, said compartments having glass' top and front Walls being disposed remote vfrom the lower end of the casing as a Whole, the bottoms of said compartments being provided with screening, doors carried at the side or" the compartments and vformed from screening, and horizontally disposed air j iassages disposed beneath the screened bottoms of the compartments and remotefrom the lower end of the casing as a Whole,` thereby obviating entrance of dirt or dust to the air passages, said air passages being substantially of the horizontal cross sectional area as the horizontal cross sectional area of the compartments and registering with said compartments.

In testimony whereof l hereunto alix'my signature.

Jenn J Y snriiiviimminone, 

